Bathroom renovation in Marbella for villas and apartments

Renovating a bathroom on the Costa del Sol is about far more than swapping tiles: it means solving waterproofing, ventilation and plumbing to withstand coastal humidity and the intensive use typical of holiday homes. At Costa del Sol Reformas we deliver turnkey bathrooms in Marbella, Estepona, Fuengirola and across Málaga province, with our own in-house team and a 5-year guarantee. We install flush, floor-level shower trays, made-to-measure screens, wall-hung sanitaryware and large-format porcelain using brands such as Porcelanosa, Roca, Duravit and Hansgrohe. Every project starts with a real technical survey —not a template— so the result is durable, easy to maintain and adapted to the region's hard water. More than 500 completed bathrooms back our method.

Step-by-step bathroom renovation process

A properly executed bathroom renovation follows an order that cannot be improvised. We begin with controlled demolition of tiling, flooring and sanitaryware, protecting the rest of the home. Next we set out and reroute the plumbing and drainage: new multilayer pipework, independent shut-off valves and waste pipes laid to the correct fall. The critical stage is waterproofing the wet area before any tile goes up. We then lay the porcelain with the right adhesive and levelling system, fit the shower tray, screen and wall-hung sanitaryware on a concealed frame, and finish with taps, lighting, ventilation and sealing. Each phase is checked before moving to the next, preventing costly problems later.

Materials and brands: floor-level trays, large format and taps

The flush, floor-level shower tray is now the standard: mineral-loaded resin or ultra-slim ceramic, with a linear or concealed grille drain and a 1.5-2% fall towards the outlet. For walls and floors we use large-format porcelain (120x120, 120x260 cm), which reduces grout lines and simplifies cleaning; it requires a deformable C2TE-S1 adhesive, back-buttering and levelling clips for a perfectly flat surface. Wall-hung sanitaryware sits on a frame with a concealed cistern (Geberit, Roca) rated well over 400 kg. For taps we recommend Hansgrohe thermostatic mixers with anti-limescale coating, ideal for the Costa del Sol's hard water. Brands like Porcelanosa and Duravit complete a high-end finish.

Waterproofing and ventilation: what you don't see

What makes a bathroom last for decades sits hidden beneath the surface. We apply flexible cement-based waterproofing across the entire shower area and floor, with reinforcing tape at wall-to-floor joints and corners, plus special detailing around drains and pipe penetrations. We respect the curing times (24-48 h) before tiling: skipping them is the most common mistake and the root cause of leaks. Ventilation matters just as much: Spanish building regulations require extraction in internal bathrooms, and on the Costa del Sol high ambient humidity worsens condensation. We fit humidistat-controlled extractors or heat-recovery units that clear the steam, preventing mould, salt deposits and deterioration of grout and joinery.

Timelines, in-house team and 5-year guarantee

A full bathroom is usually completed in 2-3 working weeks, including the curing times for screed and waterproofing, which should never be rushed. We work with our own in-house team —staff plumbers, tilers and electricians— rather than piece-rate subcontractors: this lets us control quality, meet deadlines and stand behind a genuine 5-year guarantee on the workmanship. We manage every project in Spanish, English and German, which is essential for second-home owners following the works remotely. Before handover we run watertightness, drainage and tap-function tests. More than 500 projects and a 4.6-star rating back a method built to last, not just to look good on delivery day.